Pacific northwest faces second massive atmospheric river as communities recover from devastating floods

The Pacific Northwest is bracing for another powerful atmospheric river just as communities begin recovering from catastrophic flooding that devastated the region earlier this week. The initial storm system unleashed an staggering 5 trillion gallons of rain across Washington state, dropping over a foot of precipitation and pushing rivers to record-breaking levels.

The atmospheric river – a narrow corridor of concentrated water vapor in the atmosphere often called a “river in the sky” – triggered widespread evacuations and emergency rescues throughout western Washington. Relentless rainfall spawned destructive mudslides that tore through neighborhoods, demolished homes, and left families stranded on rooftops awaiting helicopter rescues. Rivers throughout the state swelled to dangerous levels, with floodwaters extending toward the Canadian border.

As flood waters from the first storm begin to recede and residents assess the damage, meteorologists warn that another strong atmospheric river system is approaching the region. This second weather system threatens to refill rivers that have barely returned to safe levels, potentially causing renewed flooding in areas already saturated from the previous deluge.

Atmospheric rivers are responsible for most of the West Coast’s heaviest precipitation events and can transport water vapor equivalent to 15 times the flow of the Mississippi River. While these weather phenomena provide crucial water supplies for the region, their increasing intensity – linked to climate change – poses growing risks to communities. The back-to-back storms highlight the Pacific Northwest’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and the challenges facing residents as they navigate an era of more frequent and severe atmospheric river systems.